Height Percentile Calculator for Men and Women in the United States

Below is a height percentile calculator for men and women, 18 years old and older in the United States. Toggle between imperial (feet/inches) and metric (meters/centimeters) units to view the adult distribution of heights in America. We also have height by age for adults.

Height Percentile Calculator for Men and Women in the United States

Median and Average Height for Men and Women

Height is decently approximated by a normal curve – most people cluster around average height, and average height and median are similar for both men and women.

Average and Median Height for Women

Adult women in the United States had a median and average height of 5’3.6″ in 2016.

Average and Median Height for Men

18 year old and older men in the United States had a median and average height of 5’9.2″ in 2016.

Selected Height Percentiles for Men and Women

Men tend to be taller (and heavier) than women. Here are selected height percentile breakpoints for American men and women:

Percentile

Male Height

Female Height

1%

5’1.54″

4’8.85″

10%

5’5.2″

5’0.04″

25%

5’7.01″

5’1.65″

50%

5’9.17″

5’3.58″

75%

5’11.02″

5’5.63″

90%

6’0.64″

5’6.97″

99%

6’3.57″

5’9.72″

American Height Distributions for Women and Men

Unlike weight distributions, height distributions are tame… height is the classic example for a normal distribution. We’ll soon have a height by age calculator too, but the surprising thing (versus, say, BMI or weight) is how little the breakpoints change for so many ages.

Most people of approximately normal physical health reach their adult height in their late teens or early twenties, and maintain their daily standing height for around a decade.

Usually in their mid to late thirties, people will start to stand slightly shorter. The causes are legion, but sarcopenia, osteoporosis, and spinal compression are the main causes for most height declines. Other conditions such as scoliosis can also affect standing height.